What Happened to Riley in the Last of Us Season 1, Episode 7

The seventh episode of The Last of Us focuses on Riley and Ellie and leaves Riley’s future somewhat uncertain. After rescuing Joel and attempting to staunch the bleeding from his stab wound in The Last of Us episode 6, Ellie begins to reflect on the events preceding the premiere of the series. This story is set three weeks before The Last of Us episode 1 and explains Ellie’s friendship with Riley.

Ellie was bitten by an insect, discovered she was immune to it, and met Marlene and the Fireflies as a result. However, her relationship with Riley is emphasised earlier. Similar to the conclusion of episode 6 of The Last of Us, the connection between Ellie and Riley ends tragically at the end of this episode. Despite the horrible conclusion, Riley’s future is not completely resolved.

Riley Dies In The Last Of Us Season 1, Episode 7

In the last scene of The Last of Us episode 7, Ellie and Riley defend each other from an attack from an infected host. But, after eliminating the infected, both individuals realize they have been bitten and worry about the worst. Ellie and Riley are last seen in The Last of Us episode 7 deciding to spend their final few hours together, “losing their minds,” as Riley puts it. The destiny of Riley remains unknown because Ellie’s fate has been revealed in The Last of Us’ prior episodes.

Riley will eventually become infected because Ellie is the only one in The Last of Us who has immunity. Although Riley’s death was not explicitly stated in either episode 7 of HBO’s The Last of Us or the game, it is safe to infer that Riley was killed by either Ellie or the Fireflies. If the former is true, Riley is probably affected by Ellie’s remarks from The Last of Us episode 4, which explains why she refused to answer Joel’s questions about it.

Why the Last of Us episode 7 doesn’t depict Riley getting sick and dying

The Last of Us episode 7’s implied finale mimics the one from episode 3 even though it is not explicitly presented. The Last of Us episode 7’s uncertain ending makes the story more impactful, even though the latter of those episodes did not show Frank and Bill’s dead bodies to respect their story of selecting their ending and avoid degrading the lovely story. Ellie’s biggest fear is being left alone, as seen in earlier episodes of The Last of Us. Ellie being slowly abandoned by Riley is far sadder because Riley isn’t showing his turn.

Ellie’s Reaction to Riley’s Death

The seventh episode of The Last of Us will have a substantial impact on Ellie’s story. Ellie’s survivor’s guilt and her aforementioned worst fear, which are inextricably intertwined, will be the primary means by which these consequences will be felt. The fact that every person Ellie has ever cared about has died or disappeared may also contribute to her fear of being alone.

Riley’s death from the infection was the first since Ellie discovered she was immune, causing her to feel guilty for surviving. Riley was the first love of Ellie. Ellie’s fear of being abandoned is most likely caused by Riley’s death. Riley was likely Ellie’s primary attachment as a child because she was an orphan; consequently, Riley’s death had a significant impact on her being abandoned.

The numerous deaths in The Last of Us season 1 only exacerbate the situation. Ellie’s anxiety about being alone has increased alongside her regret over having survived the deaths of Tess, Henry, and Sam, in particular. All of these deaths were directly attributable to infection, or in the case of Henry, its significant impact.

While Ellie is immune to the virus, her mental health is severely affected by witnessing the deaths of those she cares about, which explains why she is so motivated to save Joel in The Last of Us episode 7. Ellie begins to experience all of these complex character emotions following Riley’s passing. This explains why Ellie and Riley’s story consumed the entire episode of The Last of Us, allowing viewers to almost fully comprehend Ellie’s character before the season’s conclusion.